Elvis Presley dies - Aug 16, 1977 - HISTORY.com Elvis Presley dies Publisher A+E Networks Popular music icon Elvis Presley dies in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 42. The death of the “King of Rock and Roll” brought legions of mourning fans to Graceland, his mansion in Memphis. Doctors said he died of a heart attack, likely brought on by his addiction to prescription barbiturates. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jesse, died during the birth. Elvis grew up dirt-poor in Tupelo and Memphis and found work as a truck driver after high school. When he was 19, he walked into a Memphis recording studio and paid $4 to record a few songs as a present to his mother. Sam Philips, the owner of the studio, was intrigued by the rough, soulful quality of his voice and invited Presley back to practice with some local musicians.

After Philips heard Elvis sing the rhythm-and-blues song “That’s All Right,” which Presley imbued with an accessible country-and-western flavor, he agreed to release the rendition as a single on his Sun Records label. The recording went to the top of the local charts, and Presley’s career was launched. During the next year, Elvis attracted a growing following in the South, and in 1955 Sun Records sold his contract to a major record label, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), for a record $40,000. His first record for RCA was “Heartbreak Hotel,” which made him a national sensation in early 1956. He followed this up with the double-sided hit record “Hound Dog”/”Don’t Be Cruel.” In September 1956, Elvis appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, a national variety television show, and teenagers went into hysterics over his dynamic stage presence, good looks, and simple but catchy songs. Many parents, however, were appalled by his sexually suggestive pelvic gyrations, and by his third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Elvis was filmed from only the waist up.

From 1956 through 1958, Elvis dominated the music charts and ushered in the age of rock and roll, opening doors for both white and black rock artists. During this period, he starred in four successful motion pictures, all of which featured his soundtracks: Love Me Tender (1956), Jailhouse Rock (1957), Loving You (1957), and King Creole (1958). In 1958, Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army and served an 18-month tour of duty in West Germany as a Jeep driver. Teenage girls were overcome with grief, but Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, kept American youth satiated with stockpiled recordings that Presley made before his departure. All five singles released during this period eventually became million-sellers.

After being discharged as a sergeant in 1960, Elvis underwent a style change, eschewing edgy, rhythm-and-blues-inspired material in favor of romantic, dramatic ballads such as “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” He retired from concerts to concentrate on his musical films, and he made 27 in the 1960s, including G.I. Blues (1960), Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), Viva Las Vegas (1964), and Frankie and Johnny (1966). In 1967, he married Priscilla Beaulieu, and the couple had a daughter, Lisa Marie, in 1968. By the end of the 1960s, rock and roll had undergone dramatic changes, and Elvis was no longer seen as relevant by American youth. A 1968 television special won back many of his fans, but hits were harder to come by. His final Top 10 entry, “Burning Love,” was in 1972. Still, he maintained his sizable fortune through lucrative concert and television appearances.

By the mid 1970s, Elvis was in declining physical and mental health. He divorced his wife in 1973 and developed a dangerous dependence on prescription drugs. He was also addicted to junk food and gained considerable weight. In the last two years of his life, he made erratic stage appearances and lived nearly as a recluse. On the afternoon of August 16, 1977, he was found unconscious in his Graceland mansion and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was buried on the grounds of Graceland, which continues to attract fans and has been turned into a highly successful tourist attraction. Related Videos BBC ON THIS DAY | 16 | 1977: Elvis is dead - long live the king 1977: Elvis is dead - long live the king Elvis Presley died in his Memphis mansion on 16 August 1977, at the age of 42. The iconic status he achieved in his lifetime coupled with a sudden and relatively early death cemented his position as one of the most famous rock stars ever.

Most people love a conspiracy theory, and the undisputed king of rock'n'roll has been the subject of more than a few, many of them variations on the theme of his faked death and continuing incognito existence. But even if the music legend is not actually with us in the flesh and blood, his spirit still lives in his music - and the lucrative impersonation industry. Memories of Elvis: My sister and I are Elvis fans, I was returning from a night-fishing trip on August 16th 1977, in my dad's car. It was around 0600 when I turned the radio on to hear Elvis on Radio Luxemburg the DJ was in tears as he re-stated the news that Elvis had died. As soon as I got home I awoke my sister to tell her. We spent the rest of the day glued to the radio and television. All night vigils and movie shows followed then and now, and our love for the man has grown every day since. We were 14 and 16 then. In 2003 my sister and I went on a pilgrimage to Graceland. For those of you who have not been, go. It has changed my life.

To be so close to the man and his music cannot be bettered. We are planning to return next year. Steve Hollis, England There is and will always be only one Elvis. Like all great figures in history the legend will never die and his legacy will be there for generations to come. I was 12 when Elvis Presley died, and had been a fan since 1969. Like many others, I was on holiday at the time. On Monday August 15th, I went into a shop to get a T-shirt printed with Elvis' photo on it. The shop also printed wording on T-shirts, so I asked for ELVIS to be printed above the photo. The man in the shop teased me by asking how to spell the name, and asked who this Elvis was. I did not realise at the time that he was joking, and I replied in all seriousness. I never met that man again, and have always wondered what he felt when he heard the news of Elvis' death just the following day. Tony Clapson, UK Having just landed at Heathrow, I was in the unusually long queue at immigration, when the pretty blonde in front suddenly burst out sobbing: "He was all that mattered to me".

Young and newly single myself, I concluded that she had split up with her boyfriend, and to my surprise, found myself placing a reassuring arm around her shoulder and saying: "I know just how you feel", placing the necessary emphasis on 'just', which, according to my ex, is guaranteed to work in these circumstances. How I wished the queue were longer! She looked up, smiled gratefully and managed a few words between sobs, which, it seemed to me, grew increasingly intimate as we approached the barrier. "Men just don't understand, do they? I don't mean you, you are so sweet." A few more minutes, and I would have seized her in my arms and kissed the tears off those limpid blue eyes. If only I could lay my hands on the villain. Then she said: "Love me tender" is my favourite, I never tire of watching it, but my husband hates it. Ah, there he is... What's your favourite?... Why, what's wrong?" A few sniggers from the schoolgirls returning from their skiing holiday, and I knew my embarrassment had not gone unnoticed.

Even after all these years, whenever Elvis is mentioned, I wonder what became of that girl with the saucer-eyes who so earnestly looked up at me. Maybe she will see this story and respond! Alan McMahon, UK I was eight and on holiday with my family at the time. My sister and I had been to get the morning paper and I didn't know why she was crying (I hadn't seen the headline). When I realised, I was upset and cried too. I loved Elvis' music, and still do. What a waste of talent. Dawn, UK I was 14 when he died. That morning I had been listening to a tape of him in bed and for some unknown reason, I started to cry, a real heart-breaking cry. Mum came in a few minutes later and said "Oh God, you know - how did you find out?" I was hysterical afterwards. My best friend was Jackie who lived next door, we were both ardent Elvis fans and our parents would not let us see each other in case we did something stupid! Years afterwards, they told us that they thought that we might commit suicide because we were so upset.

I wear a black armband on the 16th of August each year to remember him. Darice Potts, UK I remember vividly as a boy of 14 hearing of his death on the 11.00pm news on Radio Luxembourg. It was just one of those moments in time that will stay with me forever. Nick, UK I remember the day Elvis died quite well. I was only seven-years-old and sitting down watching the TV when my mother came home from work that afternoon and rushed in and told me to quickly change the channel and put on the news. I looked at her asking why and she said that Elvis had died. So we turned on the news and watched the stories of Elvis and how he passed away. Being only seven-years-old I really didn't understand the impact his death made to the world but I do remember my mum crying as she sat and watched the news. That was the first time I had ever seen my mother cry. Chris, UK Gone, but never forgotten, I have grown up listening to Elvis and my children will grow up listening to Elvis. His voice and persona made him the greatest entertainer the world has, and will ever see.

His voice was truly unique and will never be equalled. He was, he is and forever will be The King of Rock and Roll! Steve Reade, Czech Republic When he died I was a 10-year-old girl still at school. I've always been a fan of Elvis and I'm wearing an Elvis tie and will play his music all day long. He may have died but the King lives on in my life. He was the best singer for all age groups and I loved the way he moved. Long live the King. Judy Greenway, UK I remember it very well... by second born was just five months old. My mother often told of scandalizing my paternal grandmother by dancing about as a pregnant teenager to the songs of Elvis and it was often said in the family that my reckless regard for convention and conformity was attributable to my mother listening to Elvis while she was pregnant. I was born to rock'n'roll and Elvis was King... he was king not because of a royal lineage but because he was born so poor to the depression and went on to capture the hearts and spirits of nations... especially this nation. No one was like him, though there will be earnest imitators for years and years to come.

His death was more relevant, poignant, and heart-felt than the deaths of presidents who had gone before or since. He was the first American King... and will be remembered as such for as long as America has history. long Live the King! Carla, USA I had just returned to my hotel (in Doha, Qatar) for my lunch. I went to my room to shower and to tune in to the BBC world news. That's when I heard the words "The King is dead". In the split seconds before his name was mentioned I was trying to think of a country with a "King" in power. Then the story broke and I was in shock. 8 January is his birthday and mine too. I just felt that a little part of me died as well. Kevin, US For me Elvis has always been part of my life as long as I recall. My family left Chile in 1973 and came to Canada. My father and mother told me how some of their special moments always had an Elvis connection: first time they danced to rock'n'roll it was an Elvis song "Jailhouse Rock".

The first time they kissed was "Kiss me tender" and when they got married the band played some Chilean traditional music, but they mostly played Elvis songs. My father died seven years ago, the same day Elvis died. We took some of his ashes to his homeland and some to Elvis's grave. Hopefully he's watching the King in heaven! Leonardo Calcagno, Montreal, Canada I've been an Elvis fan since I was eight (now I'm 21) and now I must say, "It's cool to be an Elvis fan". I came to London to see "Elvis The Concert" at Wembley Arena in 2000. After 24 years I saw that Elvis is still able to hold a sell-out show. He's timeless and he'll always be no matter what. I love you Elvis... With all my heart. Can Balkan, Turkey I was brought up on Elvis Presley's music in our household. When he died i was 10-years-old, so I remember watching Elvis on tour live via satellite - what a performer. Now I'm 36, Elvis still lives on through his music.

God bless the man who invented rock'n'roll, may he live forever in our hearts, thanks for the music Elvis. Wayne, UK Twenty-six years after his sad passing, and still as popular, if not more popular, the legacy of the king still lives on. What talent he has to continue to be one of the most famous celebrities that has ever lived, and still be known by his first name alone, across the globe. Long live the king! Kevin Claxton, England I was one-year-old when Elvis died, so I never had the privilege of seeing him live, although I did see Elvis The Concert earlier this year, which was amazing. As with most geniuses, Elvis was a troubled soul, but he brought so much happiness and joy to the world that he will live on forever. He was a remarkable man, talented and beautiful, and I will love him forever. Emma, UK How and When Did Elvis Presley Die? How and when did Elvis Presley die? How and when did Elvis Presley die? nydailynews. com Updated August 15, 2015. Question: How and when did Elvis Presley die?

Answer: Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977 in the bathroom of his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 42 at the time of death. He had been on the toilet, but fallen off onto the floor, where he lay in a pool of his own vomit. Panicked, his staff contacted an ambulance, which rushed him to nearby Baptist Memorial Hospital, where, after several attempts to revive him, he died at 3:30 pm CST. His autopsy was performed at 7:00 pm. The official coroner's report lists "cardiac arrhythmia" as the cause of Presley's death, but this was later admitted to be a ruse entered into by the Presley family along with autopsy physicians Dr. Jerry T. Francisco, Dr. Eric Muirhead and Dr. Noel Florredo to cover up the real cause of death, a cocktail of ten prescribed drugs, taken in doses no doctor would prescribe: The painkillers Morphine and Demerol. Chloropheniramine, an antihistamine. The tranquilizers Placidyl and Valium.

continue reading below our video Highest Paid Female Actors Ever Finally, four drugs were found in "significant" quantities: Codeine, an opiate, Ethinamate, largely prescribed at the time as a "sleeping pill," Quaaludes, and a barbituate, or depressant, that has never been identified. It has also been rumored that Diazepam, Amytal, Nembutal, Carbrital, Sinutab, Elavil, Avental, and Valmid were found in his system at death. The phrase "cardiac arrhythmia," in the context of the coroner's report, means little more than a stopped heart; the report initially tried to attribute the arrhythmia to cardiovascular disease, but Elvis' own personal physician has stated that Presley had no such chronic problems at the time. Most of Elvis' many health problems can and have been traced back to rampant abuse of prescription drugs. Elvis had visited his dentist on August 15th to have a temporary crown put in; it has also been suggested that the codeine the dentist gave him that day resulted in an anaphylactic shock that assisted in his death.

(He had suffered allergic reactions to the drug previously.) Elvis Presley History Timeline 1977 Here's a handy database of dates and events in Elvis Presley's life during 1977. You can also find out what else Elvis was up to in 1977 and in all the years of his life. January 8: Elvis celebrates his 42nd birthday in Palm Springs with girlfriend Ginger Alden and her sister, Rosemary. January 11: Presley convinces his dentist Max Shapiro to fly down to Palm Springs along with his fiancee and get married, with Larry Geller performing the ceremony. Elvis then says, "Ginger, I haven't asked you before, but I would like us to get married, and I want Larry to do it the same way he married Dr. Max and Susan, so what do you think, do you want to?" January 21: Elvis arrives a day late for his next recording session in Nashville after arguing with Ginger about joining him there (he eventually shows up without her). Despondent and complaining of a sore throat, he remains in his hotel room for the duration of his stay, never making it to the studio.

continue reading below our video Celebrity Breakups of 2015 We Didn't See Coming January 26: Apparently deciding that the formal proposal will solve everything, Elvis presents Ginger with a quickly-assembled engagement ring made from a diamond on one of his rings. She accepts in the King's bathroom at Graceland. January 28: The newspaper The Nashville Banner mentions Elvis' doomed recording session in its entertainment column, speculating that Colonel Tom Parker is furious at the King and hinting that the much-younger Ginger is the cause of his exhaustion. February 1: Elvis and Ginger fly to Los Angeles to celebrate Lisa Marie's ninth birthday. February 12: At Elvis' insistence, Ginger joins him on the tour beginning tonight in Hollywood, FL. February 20: Having flown Ginger's family in to join him on the tour in order to make her stay on, Elvis calls Ginger's embarrassed sister Terry up on stage during tonight's show to play some classical piano. The same night, Elvis unplugs keyboardist David Briggs' instrument on stage and fires him from the tour after learning that he's been carrying on an affair with Ginger.

March 3: After some prodding by his father, Vernon, Elvis signs his will, leaving control of everything to his father, then heads off for a vacation in Hawaii. March 12: Elvis cuts his vacation short, complaining of sand in his eye, and returns to Graceland to "recuperate" before his next tour begins. March 22: A despondent Elvis, pining for Ginger, is barely able to make it to his tour plane. Dr. Nick puts him on an IV. March 26: Producer Felton Jarvis, desperate for new material to fulfill Elvis' contract, begins recording selected songs from the tour on a rented eight-track machine, suggesting songs to Elvis he's never performed before. March 30: At tonight's show in Alexandria, LA, Elvis sings the first verse of "Can't Help Falling In Love" as "Wise men know when it's time to go." March 31: Elvis cancels his second date in Baton Rouge during intermission, then flies home and cancels the last three days of the tour as well. An upset Colonel moves the canceled dates to the end of his next tour.

April 1: Elvis checks into Memphis' Baptist Hospital for "exhaustion." April 5: Elvis returns to Graceland, with a concerned Priscilla and Lisa Marie flying in to visit. April 13: The singer vacations in Vegas with a twenty-year-old bank teller he's just met, Alicia Kerwin. While there, he complains of labored breathing, and his Vegas doctor is flown in. Kerwin soon leaves the King after finding his mental state "too depressing." April 26: The National Enquirer ups the ante by publishing new photos of Elvis and claiming he's had a recent face lift. April 29: The Nashville Banner breaks the news that the Colonel looking to sell his management contract with Elvis to pay off his mounting gambling debts. If there is any such deal, the Colonel soon breaks it off due to public pressure. The same day, Elvis signs the deed of Graceland over to Priscilla for payment of her outstanding divorce settlement. May 6: A distraught Elvis fires a gun out of his bedroom window, shattering it.

May 22: Elvis leaves the stage during tonight's show in Landover, MD, claiming he has to attend to "nature's call." May 29: Elvis leaves his show in Baltimore, MD for a full half-hour, angering and bewildering fans. May 31: The as-yet-unpublished tell-all book from Sonny and Red West, Elvis: What Happened? begins to leak out, one chapter at a time, to newspapers in England and Australia. June 1: Plans for the upcoming CBS-TV special Elvis In Concert are announced. June 14: US President Jimmy Carter returns the call Elvis had placed to the White House the day before, but finding him incoherent, Carter hangs up. June 19: Tonight's concert in Omaha, NE, is filmed, the first of two to be recorded for Elvis In Concert. It is a disaster, one of the legendary last shows that records just how low the King has fallen. The shocking performance of "Can't Help Falling In Love" from This Is Elvis is taken from this show.

June 24: En route to his hotel while on tour in Madison, WI, Elvis spots an altercation between two young men and a gas station attendant and immediately gets out of his limo, striking a karate pose, to take the two assailants on. When all three get a glimpse of their intruder, however, they immediately forget the fight and ask for pictures and photographs. August 4: The book Elvis: What Happened? is published, sparking new rumors in America about the King's drug use. August 10: Elvis watches The Spy Who Loved Me, among other new films, during a special viewing at the General Cinema in Whitehaven, TN. August 15: Elvis visits his dentist at 10:30 at night -- not an unusual occurrence -- to get a cleaning and two fillings. Elvis Presley's Death -- What Really Killed the King? | The Huffington Post Elvis Presley's Death -- What Really Killed the King?

02/04/2016 04:24 pm ET | Updated Feb 06, 2016 270 Garry Rodgers Former homicide detective and forensic coroner ASSOCIATED PRESS Elvis Presley suddenly dropped in the bathroom of his Graceland mansion on the afternoon of August 16, 1977. He was rushed to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, pronounced dead, then shipped to the morgue and autopsied the same afternoon. Three days later, the coroner issued Elvis's death certificate stating the cause as "hypertensive cardiovascular disease with atherosclerotic heart disease" -- an arrhythmia, or heart attack for short. However, toxicology results soon identified several pharmaceutical drugs in Elvis's system with codeine being ten times the therapeutic level. This started accusations of a cover-up and suggesting conspiracy theories of a sinister criminal act. Pushing 40 years after, modern medicine and forensics took a new look at the Presley case facts and indicated that something entirely different from a heart attack or a drug overdose really killed the King of Rock & Roll.

Hindsight being twenty-twenty, let's first look at how death investigations should be conducted. Coroners are the judge of death and it's their responsibility to establish five main facts surrounding a death. (Coroners are not to assign blame.) In the Presley case, the facts determined at the time were: Identity of Deceased -- Elvis Aaron Presley. Time of Death -- Approximately 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 16, 1977. Place of Death -- 3754 Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee. Cause of Death -- Heart attack. Means of Death -- Chronic heart disease. There's a distinct difference between Cause of Death and Means of Death. Cause is the actual event. Means is the method in which death happened. Examples are cause being a ruptured aorta with means being a motor vehicle crash, or cause being massive cerebral interruption with means being gunshot wound to the head. Once the facts are known, it's the coroner's duty to classify the Manner of Death. There are five universal classifications: Natural Accidental Undetermined Elvis Presley's death was ruled a natural event -- thought at the time as being an acute cardiac event from existing cardiovascular disease.

If the coroner determined Elvis died from a drug overdose, the ruling would have been accidental. No one ever claimed it was suicide or homicide. One principle of death investigation is to look for antecedent evidence -- preexisting conditions which contributed to the death mechanism or was responsible for causing or continuing a chain of events that led to the death. . Another principle of death investigation is examining the triangle of Scene -- Body -- History. This compiles the totality of evidence. Let's look at the evidence in Elvis Presley's death. Scene Elvis was found on his bathroom floor, face down in front of the toilet. It was apparent he'd instantly collapsed from a sitting position and there was no sign of a distress struggle or attempt to summon help. When the paramedics arrived, he was cold, blue, and had no vital signs. Rigor mortis had not set in so he'd probably expired within the hour. He was transported by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital where a vain attempt at resuscitation occurred because "he was Elvis". He was declared dead at 3:16 p.m. and was shipped to the morgue where an autopsy was promptly performed. There was no suggestion of suicide or foul play so there was no police investigation.

The scene wasn't photographed, nor preserved, and there was no accounting for what medications or other drugs might have been present at Graceland. Body Elvis was in terrible health. His weight was estimated at 350 pounds and he was virtually non-functional at the end, being mostly bed-ridden and requiring permanent nursing care. He suffered from an enlarged heart which was twice the size of normal and showed evidence of advanced cardiovascular disease in his coronary vessels, aorta, and cerebral arteries -- certainly more advanced than a normal 42-year-old would be. His lungs showed signs of emphysema, although he'd never smoked, and his bowel was found to be twice the length of normal with an impacted stool estimated to be four months old. Elvis also suffered from hypogammaglobulinemia which is a genetic immune disorder, as well as showed evidence of an autoimmune inflammatory disorder . Toxicology tested positive for 10 separate prescription medications but showed negative for illicit drugs and alcohol. The only alarming pharmaceutical indicator, on its own, was codeine at 10 times the prescribed manner but not in lethal range.

History Elvis was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi and had a twin brother who died at birth. As a youth, Elvis was active and healthy which continued during his time as a Marine and all through his early performing stage when he was a bundle of energy. He began experimenting with amphetamines, probably to enhance his performances, but shied from alcohol as it gave him violent tendencies. In 1967, Elvis came under the primary care of Dr. George Nichopoulos who was well-known to celebrities. Then, Elvis was 32 and weighed 163 pounds. His only known medical ailment was slightly high blood pressure, presumably due to his high-fat diet. Also in 1967, Elvis's health took a sudden turn with progressive chronic pain, insomnia, hypertension, lethargy, irrational behavior, and immense weight gain. Over his remaining years, Elvis was seen by a number of different doctors and was hospitalized a number of times, all the while resorting to self- medication with a wide assortment of drugs from dozens of sources.

Doctor Nick, as Nichopoulos was called, stayed as Elvis's personal physician till the end and was present at the death scene, as well as during the autopsy. Doctor Nick concurred with the coroner's conclusion that the cause of death was a natural cardiac event resulting from an arrhythmia , or sudden interruption of heartbeat, and agreed that Elvis's death was not due to a drug overdose. When the toxicology report was released, it came with a qualifier: Diazepam, methaqualone, phenobarbital, ethchlorvynol, and ethinamate are below or within their respective ranges. Codeine was present at a level approximately 10 times those concentrations found therapeutically. In view of the polypharmacy aspects, this case must be looked at in terms of the cumulative pharmacological effect of the drugs identified by the report. Because the tox report appeared to contradict the autopsy report's stated cardiac cause of death, a prominent toxicologist was asked to review the findings. His opinion was: Coupled with this toxicological data are the pathological findings and the reported history that the deceased had been mobile and functional within 8 hours prior to death.

Together, all this information points to a conclusion that, whatever tolerance the deceased may have acquired to the many drugs found in his system, the strong probability is that these drugs were the major contribution to his demise. The Tennessee Board of Health then began an investigation into Elvis's death which resulted in proceedings against Doctor Nick. Evidence showed that during the seven and a half months preceding Elvis's death -- from January 1, 1977, to August 16, 1977 -- Doctor Nick wrote prescriptions for Elvis for at least 8,805 pills, tablets, vials, and injectables. Going back to January 1975, the count was 19,012. These numbers might defy belief, but they came from an experienced team of investigators who visited 153 pharmacies and spent 1,090 hours going through 6,570,175 prescriptions and then, with the aid of two secretaries, spent another 1,120 hours organizing the evidence.

The drugs included uppers, downers, and powerful painkillers such as Dilaudid, Quaalude, Percodan, Demerol, and Cocaine Hydrochloride in quantities more appropriate for those terminally ill with cancer. Doctor Nick admitted to this. His defense was because Elvis was so wired on pain killers, he prescribed these medications to keep Elvis away from dangerous street drugs, thereby controlling Elvis's addiction -- addiction being a disease. One of the defense witnesses was Dr. Forest Torrent , a prominent California physician and a pioneer in the use of opiates in pain treatment who explained how the effects this level of codeine would have contributed to Elvis's death. Central to misconduct allegations was the issue of high codeine levels in Elvis at the time of death -- codeine being the prime toxicological suspect as the pharmaceutical contributor. It was established that Elvis obtained codeine pills from a dentist the day before his death and Doctor Nick had no knowledge of it. The jury bought it and Doctor Nick was absolved of negligence in directly causing Elvis Presley's fatal event. Continuing Investigation Dr. Torrent was convinced there were other contributing factors leading to Elvis's death. In preparation for Doctor Nick's trial, Dr.

Torrent had access to all of Elvis Presley's medical records, including the autopsy and toxicology reports. Incidentally, the autopsy and toxicology reports are the property of the Presley estate and are sealed from public view until 2027 -- 50 years after Elvis's death. Dr. Torrent was intrigued by the sudden change in Elvis starting in 1967 and discovered that while in Los Angeles filming the movie Clambake, Elvis tripped over an electrical cord, fell, and cracked his head on the edge of a porcelain bathtub. Elvis was knocked unconscious and had to be hospitalized. Dr. Torrent found three other incidents where Elvis suffered head blows and he suspected Elvis suffered from what's now known as Traumatic Brain Injury -- TBI -- and that's what caused progressive ailments which led to his death. Dr. Torrent released a paper titled Elvis Presley: Head Trauma, Autoimmunity, Pain, and Early Death . It's a fascinating read -- recently published in Practical Pain Management . Dr. Torrent builds a theory that Elvis's bathtub head injury was so severe that it caused brain tissue to be jarred loose and leak into his general blood circulation.

This is now known to be a leading cause of autoimmune disorder which causes a breakdown of other organs. This was unknown in 1967 and Elvis went untreated. Side effects are chronic pain, irrational behavior, and severe bodily changes such as obesity and enlarged organs like hearts and bowels. Today, TBI is a recognized health issue in professional contact sports. With a change in mental state and suffering chronic pain, Elvis Presley entered a 10-year spiral towards death. He became hopelessly addicted to pain killers, practiced a terribly unhealthy diet and lethargic lifestyle, and resorted to the typical addict's habit of sneaking a fix wherever he could. This led to early coronary vascular disease and, combined with his escalating weight and pill consumption, Elvis had a heart to explode. Recall that I used the term antecedent , like all coroners do when assessing a cause of death. Given Dr. Torrent's observations -- and all the facts compiled from forty years -- if I were the coroner completing Elvis Presley's death certificate today, I'd write it like this: Identity of Deceased -- Elvis Aaron Presley. Time of Death -- Approximately 2:00 p.m.

on Tuesday, August 16th, 1977. Place of Death -- 3754 Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee. Cause of Death -- Cardiac arrhythmia antecedent to hypertensive cardiovascular disease with atherosclerotic heart disease antecedent to polypharmacy antecedent to autoimmune inflammatory disorder antecedent to traumatic brain injury. Means of Death -- Cumulative Head Trauma. Therefore, I'd have to classify Elvis's death as an accident. There's no one to blame -- certainly not Elvis. He was a severely injured and ill man. There's no specific negligence on anyone's part and definitely no cover-up or conspiracy of a criminal act. If Dr. Forrest Torrent is right, there simply wasn't a proper understanding back then in determining what really killed the King of Rock & Roll. * * * Garry Rodgers is a retired homicide detective and forensic coroner, now bestselling crime writer. Garry lives on Vancouver Island on Canada's west coast and hosts the popular blog DyingWords . Follow Garry Rodgers on Twitter: Elvis' death shocks LV - Las Vegas Sun News Harold Hyman Wednesday, Aug. 17, 1977 | 6 a.m.

Elvis Presley collapsed and died at his home in Memphis, Tenn. Tuesday and the tragedy sent a rippling shock through Las Vegas where he made his show business comeback and attained a popularity peak from which he never descended. At the Hilton, where Elvis had made exclusive Las Vegs appearances since 1969, executives were caught by surprise and reacted numbly. Barron Hilton, head of the worldwide hotel chain, had flown into Las Vegas for a late afternoon advertising conference but cancelled it after word of Presley's death was flashed at 12:30 p.m. PDT. Hilton, who had befriended Presley here, issued a terse statement of tribute but declined press interviews. In part, his statement said, "...Presley was more than just a great talent, he was a good friend to all of us at the Las Vegas Hilton." Henry Lewin, the Hilton's senior vice president, was more graphic. Stopping for a hallway interview in the hotel's buzzing executive suite, he referred to Presley as "...an absolute superstar who was also a very simple person." "I am going to miss him. It makes me very sad that this could happen," Lewin said. "The man had no season.

He was unique and he was magic to our (gaming and tourism) industry," the Hilton executive stated. Initial conflicting reports said Presley died of a heart attack, respiratory failure and an overdose of drugs. Doctors at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, where the dead entertainer was initially taken, issued a statement in the late afternoon which said he died of an "erratic heartbeat." Presley apparently collapsed in a bathroom of his Graceland Mansion in Memphis and was found face down on the floor by his road manager, Joe Esposito, at 3:3 p.m. Memphis time. However, Shelby county Medical Examiner Dr. Jerry Francisco said Presley may have been dead more than five hours before he was found. Francisco told reporters after an autopsy Presley died of "cardiac arrythmia," which he described as a severely irregular heartbeat. he said it was brought about by "undetermined causes." Both Francisco and Dr. George Nichopoulos, Presley's physician in Memphis, emphasized there was "no evidence of any illegal drug use." Rumors had persisted for more than a year in Las Vegas that Presley was a heavy user of cocaine, but the rumors were never confirmed. Dr.

Elias Ghanem, Presley's Las Vegas physician who was also a personal friend, expressed extreme surprise when told of the entertainer's death from heart failure. "Why, he was in perfect health," ghanem said in news interviews. "I personally gave him a physical examination for insurance reasons only recently. I can't understand this," he exclaimed. Ghanem cancelled all late afternoon appointments at his office on Joe W. Brown Drive in the shadow of the Hilton Hotel and flew to Memphis for a firsthand review of events. The Las Vegas doctor last year was a recipient of Presley's well known generosity. After treating the entertainer for pneumonia, Ghanem was gifted with a $42,000 Stutz racing car and a $16,000 Mercedes sedan. Ghanem's claim that Presley's health was good contradicted other reports which alleged fame and wealth had taken its physical toll long before the singing idol's death Tuesday at the age of 42. Noticeably overweight during the last few years, Presley was plagued with problems of hypertension and an elarged colon. He was admitted five times in the past four years for treatment at Baptist Hospital in Memphis.

In Las Vegas, Presley cut his appearances at the Hilton from eight eight times a year to twice a year and in 1976 departed from the two-shows-a-night tradition to doing only one show. His last appearance in Las Vegas was December, 1976, but Hilton executives expected him back this fall. When the Hilton first opened on July 2, 1969, it was the International Hotel and Barbra Streisand opened in the showroom. Presley followed her on July 31, making his first nightclub appearance in 10 years. His salary at the hotel was never made public but unconfirmed reports said it was upwards of $200,000 for each engagement. In later years he was said to have earned $300,00 a week in Las Vegas. He filled the 2,000 seat Hilton showroom for every performance. To see his show, reservations had to be made months in advance. Fans stood in line up to 12 hours at a stretch to catch his act. But if Presley brought business to the Hilton, he also brought problems.

There were times, especially during the past two years, when Presley's off-stage antics rendered him immobile and he could not make his scheduled showroom appearances. But he crowds he drew and the gamblers who followed him to Las Vegas and the Hilton's casino, more than made up for his temporary inconveniences. his first Las Vegas appearance was at the Old Frontier Hotel on the Strip where the Frontier now stands. That was in April, 1956, and Presley was listed third on the entertainment bill behind the Freddy Martin band and comedian Shecky Greene. He didn't go over well and was not signed for a return engagement. Years later at the Hilton, things would be different. Presley was so idolized he was forced to stay in his five room suite, except for showroom performances, or be mobbed by crowds of fans. With such single hits as "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel", Presley became a national legend before his 25th birthday. His long-playing records were the fastest selling albums in history. They reached astronomical levels in the eight figures, and made "Elvis the Pelvis" famous in every corner of the land.

The great teenagers' idol was born in Tupelo, miss. on Jan. 8, 1935, one of a pair of twins, to Gladys and Vernon Presley. His mother said: "We matched their names - Jesse Garon and Elvis Aron. Jesse died when he was born. Maybe that is why Elvis is so dear to us." She often reminisced about her son's early childhood. "When Elvis was just a little fellow," she said, "he would slide off my lap in church, run down the aisle, and scramble up to the platform. He would stand looking at the choir and try to sing with them. He was too little to know the words, but he could carry the tune." The future musical star, with his two parents, appeared as a popular singing trio at camp meetings, revivals and church conventions. Elvis' father purchased a guitar for the boy at a cost of $12.95. His mother recalled: "he liked the guitar best of all his things. He'd sit in front of the radio picking out melodies, or play the phonograph, trying to learn the songs he heard." The family moved to Memphis when Elvis was 13. He attended the L.C.

Humes High School, and worked as an usher in a local movie theater. After graduation, he took a job at $35 a week driving a truck. The fabulous Presley career had its humble beginning in the summer of 1953, when Elvis dropped into the office of the Sun Record Co. in Memphis and paid out four dollars to cut a record. He took the record home and played it over and over again. A year later he went back to Sun and cut another record, but this one was for the company rather than for himself. It was released in the summer of 1954, under the title "That's All Right, Mama" and drew some attention but was not a big hit. Listeners noted in the song a new quality - a blend of hillbilly and rock-'n-roll. His next recorded song, "Blue Moon of Kentucky" did better. A shrewd song promoter named Col. Thomas Parker was impressed by the records.

He took over management of Elvis and toured him throughout rural areas under the moniker "The Hilly Billy Cat." Elvis' big change of fortune came in the fall of 1954 at the annual convention of the Country and Western Disc Jockeys Assn. in Nashville, Tenn. Steve Sholes, head of RCA Victor's specialties division, heard Presley's records at this meeting - and felt that he was a winner. Sholes approached Sam Phillips, chief of Sun Records, who had Elvis under contract. He offered him the then unheard of sum of $35,000 for the masters of all five of Presley's records for RCA-Victor. What's more, he gave Presley a bonus which permitted the youth to buy the first of a long string of Cadillacs. Victor broke all previous precedents by releasing the five records simultaneously...and history was made.

Elvish changed the course of popular music with such hits as "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "All Shook Up," and "It's Now or Never." The long-sideburned youth with undulating lips, snake eyes, demi-sneer, skin tight pants, gyrating pelvis, and electric guitar made a particular dent in teenage consciousness with the tune, "Heartbreak Hotel." Some critics judge Presley to have been the most important popular musical figure fo the third quarter of the century. The well-known musicologist Alan Lomax for instance, believed Presley liberated American popular music from the European tradition. From the years 1956 through 1958, the American Bandstand poll ranked Presley the nation's most popular male singer. He received $1 million a piece for filming four successful movies: "Love Me Tender," "Loving You," "Jailhouse Rock", and "King Creole." The pictures, combined with his records, made his name a household word. In 1958 Presley began a two-year hitch in the United States Army. He served in Bad Nauheim, Germany, where he rose to the rank of sergeant.

New records he had made before his induction were judiciously released while he was abroad, and his popularity still was high upon his return to civilian life. Now came a fresh spate of movies: "GI Blues," "Blue Hawaii," "Fun in Acapulco," "Viva Las Vegas," "Harum Scarum," "Double Trouble," "Clambake," and "Change of Habit." When his movies started to lose audience appeal, Col. Parker arranged for his protege to make special television appearances. Presley was meantime becoming richer and richer, driving about in a Rolls Royce and five Cadillacs - painted white, pink, blue, canary yellow and goold. His house in Memphis, and a Grecian palace he purchased in Bel Air, creaked with pinball machines, pool tables, and jukeboxes. In 1967 he married Priscilla Ann Beaulieu, and they had a daughter the following year. The couple separated in 1972. Presley went into semiretirement during the late 1960s, with 400 million records and 31 films to his credit.

When he made a brief reappearance in the limelight in 1972, he found his fans still faithful. Elvis death: Shocking new DNA results reveal he suffered from genetic heart muscle disease - Mirror Online Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email It is news that could leave Elvis Presley's family and fans all shook up. DNA from Elvis' hair suggests he suffered from a genetic heart muscle disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He appeared to suffer symptoms of the condition in his final years, including an irregular heartbeat, fatigue, fainting and high blood pressure. The new findings suggest that regardless of his diet, the iconic singer was always destined to die young. Dead Famous DNA gives a new insight into Elvis' death extracting DNA to analyse his genome – the genetic blueprint of life. 1970: In late February, Presley performed six attendance-record–breaking shows at the Houston Astrodome (Photo: Getty) The results were obtained after buying Elvis' hair from a friend of his barbers for $2000. Presenter Mark Evans said: "Some of the results are remarkable - not least those of the DNA we believe came from Elvis.

“Elvis and his doctor have both been blamed over the years for his premature death. It was thought his overeating or overdosing on drugs had killed him. "Whilst those addictions would have helped, this new evidence suggests Elvis may have had a flaw in his DNA and his early death was his genetic destiny." During three months of DNA testing, problems were found on chromosome 11 - a variant known to cause hypertophic cardiomyopathy - a heart muscle disease that usually occurs in men between 20 and 40. Chromosome 19 showed variant for obesity. Chromosome 17 found glaucoma and chromosome 1 found variant for migraine. Mr Evans said he was "very very confident" the hair was genuine and he was dealing with Elvis' DNA because of the provinence of the hair. Asked if the find is significant, Dr Stephen Kingsmore, who did the analysis at the Centre for Paediatric Genomic Medicine in Kansas, said of the heart defect: "Its definitely a smoking gun. “We could have advised him to modify his diet. He may have had a different life.” The programme makers contacted daughter Lisa Marie Presley's office but said it had not had a response.

1977: An overweight and declining Elvis no longer resembled the superstar that had shot to fame off the back of his good looks (Photo: Rex) Elvis died in his bathroom on August 16, 1977 aged 42 but the majority of details of his death were kept from the public. At this time he was suffering from aucoma, high blood pressure, liver damage, and an enlarged colon. Dead Famous DNA also tries to look at the genetic make up of the likes of Hitler, Einstein and Marilyn Monroe. * Dead Famous DNA starts on Channel4 tonight, Wednesday 26 March, at 9pm We're testing a new site: This content is coming soon

Question: How old was Elvis Presley when he died in 1977?
Answer: 42